Charge Seungri with habitual gambling, police tell prosecutors after investigation

Former BigBang boy band member Seungri arrives for police questioning in Seoul on Aug 28, 2019. PHOTO: AFP

BigBang singer G-Dragon completed his military stint on Oct 26 but some fans fear that he might not want to return to the group.

The South Korean boy band's image was tarnished earlier this year when member Seungri was linked to reports of misbehaviour, from procuring prostitutes for would-be investors of his businesses to embezzlement of funds from the Burning Sun nightclub.

Now, BigBang's reputation has taken a further knock, with Seungri, who has quit the group, in the spotlight for habitual gambling overseas.

According to the koreaboo portal, the police will be forwarding the cases of five people, including Seungri and Yang Hyun-suk, former head of YG Entertainment which manages BigBang, to the prosecution on Nov 1.

Media outlets reported previously that Seungri was a VIP guest at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on four occasions, and that he incurred losses of more than US$1 million (S$1.36 million).

On Aug 28, Seungri had been questioned by the police for more than 12 hours over the gambling allegations.

Yang reportedly used money from shows held by YG artists in the United States to fund his Las Vegas casino outings but the police have now said that they could not find any such evidence.

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